Welder&#39;s work-holding appliance



Feb. 23, 1954 c. w. SWEENEY WELDERS WORK-HOLDING APPLIANCE Filed April18, 1951 INVENTOR Charles u qy BY %%WQ ATTORNEY Patented Feb. 23,1954

WELDERS WORK-HOLDING APPLIANCE Charles W. Sweeney, Columbus, -Ohio,assignor of fifteen per cent to Joseph R. Hague, Columbus,

Ohio

Application April 18, 1951, Serial No. 221,589

2 Claims. 1

This invention relates to adjustable work-holding apparatus, the generalobject thereof being to provide apparatus for maintaining adjoiningregions of variously shaped metallic bodies in desired relative order tofacilitate welding operations thereon.

In general welding operations, such as those encountered in the repairor restoration of damaged motor vehicle bodies, wheel fenders, and othermetallic sheets or parts, the same offer many different shapes orformations and constitute a shop problem of considerable importance inproviding adequate and effective holding means for maintaining the partsin proper relative order. It is necessary that a welder have free use ofhis hands in performing welding operations, in order to manipulate withrequired dexterity the necessary welding tools and to enable the welderto follow intricate welding patterns. jigs or work holders are oftenused for particular operations, but so far as I am aware, no workholdingdevices are presently available sufilcient- 1y universal in their designto receive and securely support the great majority of the variouslyshaped and proportioned metallic bodies which are encountered daily inwelding shop practice.

Accordingly, it is a leading object of the present invention to providea welders work-holding appliance which includes a pair of relativelyadjustable work-engaging clamps, and wherein provision is made forsupporting said clamps in a manner providing for universal swingingmovement thereof in a relatively independent manner or in bodily unisonabout upper and lower sets of universal mountings.

It is another object of the invention to provide a work-holdingappliance of the character :set forth wherein the clamp-supporting upperand lower sets of universal mountings are themselves mounted in relativeadjustment with respect to each other or bodily in unison, so that themountings may be raised or lowered turned about both vertical andhorizontal axes and adjusted longitudinally with respect to each otheron the improved supporting means.

With these and other objects and advantages in view, which will appearas the description proceeds, the invention consists in the novelfeatures of construction, combinations of elements and arrangements ofparts, all hereinafter more fully described and pointed out in theappended claims.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of an adjust- In this connection,various makeshift able welders work-holding appliance having the Istructural features of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is an end elevational view of the appliance.

Referring more particularly to the drawings,

the numeral I designates the base of my improved work-holding frame. Inthis instance, the base is formed with an axially disposed uprighttubular extension 2, the latter forming a vertical socket for theadjustable reception of a stem 3. The latter may be maintained invarious positions of vertical adjustment relative to the extension byproviding the latter at one side thereof with a boss 4 containing athreaded bore for the reception of the threaded stem of a set screw, orits equivalent, 5. When the screw is tightened, the inner end of thesame engages the .outer surface of the stem 3 and exerts sufficientbinding effort thereon to hold the extension in a desired verticalposition relative to its maximum range of adjustment within theextension.

In this instance, the upper end of the stem 3 is notched as at 6 andformed with a flattened semi-circular head 1. One face of this head isheld in contact with a semi-circular fiat face provided on a dependingweb 8 carried by a lower tubular fitting 9. The head 7 and the web 8 areformed with registering openings suitably threaded for the reception ofa binding screw I0. Upon the tightening of the screw H], the head I andthe web 8 are clamped together in a frictional manner, retaining thefitting 9 in desired positions of adjustment about the horizontal axis.of turning movement afforded by the shank of the binding screw l0.

Positioned for longitudinal adjustment within the fitting 9 and held insuch position of adjustment by a set screw 9a is the intermediateportion of a lower substantially horizontally extending supporting rodII. This rod carries for longitudinal adjustment thereon a pair of lowerclamping brackets l2. Each of these brackets is formed to include a hubl3 which is longitudinally bored for the reception of the rod II. Thehub I3 of each lower bracket is provided with a threaded opening for thereception of the threaded shank of a set screw l4. When the latter istightened, the same exerts a bindin frictional action on the engagedportion of the rod H to hold the bracket or brackets in variouspositions of relative longitudinal adjustment on the rod l l.

Each of the brackets l2 additionally includes an integral upstandingwing l5 and a separable cooperative clamping plate l6. Toward theirupper ends each of the wings l5 and its associated plate [6 is formedwith spherical depressions constituting sockets for the reception of thespherical heads I! which are rigidly carried by and depend from uppertubular fittings l8. Each of the wings l5 and the plates l6 are formedwith registering openings suitably threaded for the reception of theshanks of clamping screws l9. When the latter are tightened man.- uallyto a given extent, the spherical surfaces of the depressions formed withthe wings 1'5 and the plates 16 exerts sufficient frictional pressure onthe heads I! to hold the fittings H3 in desired positions of universaladjustment with respect to the lower set of clamping brackets l2.

slidably mounted for longitudinal adjustment in the fittings [8 aretransversely extending normally horizontally disposed rods 20. Thelatterare arranged on opposite sides of the vertical axis of the extension 2of the frame base and are adjustable toward and away from said verticalaxis independently or bodily through the adjustment of the rod I I inits fitting 9.

Mounted on each of the rods '20 is a pair of upper supporting brackets22, which are similar in construction to the lower brackets "I2. Each ofthe upper brackets includes a hub 22 formed on its under side with aboss 23. The threaded shank of an adjusting screw 24 is positioned in athreaded bore provided in each of the hubs 22 and its associated boss23. Arising from each of the hubs 22 is a wing 25 which cooperates'witha separable clamping plate 26, Adjacent to their upper ends each of thewings 25 and the-plates 26 is formed with a spherical depression forreception between the same of a spherical head 21 provided on the lowerend of a short stem 28 carried by and projecting rigidly from the lowerend of a C-clamp 29. Each of these clamps (four in number) includesspaced work-receiving jaws 38 and work clamping screws 3|, by means ofwhich work pieces shown at 32 are held in connection with the clamps.

In View of the foregoing, it will be seen that by the construction setforth, the clamps 29'may be adjusted to assume a large number ofoperating positions, depending upon the configuration of the work piecesengaged thereby. In the drawings, these work pieces are shown as ofsimple plate-like form. However, it will be understood that in practice,the shape and dimensions of these work pieces will difier greatly, andit is to adapt the clamps to such-variations in shape that the presentinvention has been conceived and developed. Thus, the clamps may turnabout the universal adjustments afiorded by the upper set of ball andsocket connections indicated at 25, 26 and 21 which are comparativelyclose to the bodies of the clamps 29. A greater range of adjustment isafforded by the lower ball and socket connections provided by themembers l5, l8 and H. The entire supportingassembly may turn about thehorizontal axis of the clamping bolt provided between the fitting ;9 andthe upper end of the stem 3. Also, the clamps may be bodily raised andlowered by the vertical adjustment of the stem 3 in the uprightextension 2. Each pair of clamps may hemoved toward or away from eachother by longitudinal adjustment'on the upper set of rods or similaradjustment on the lower rod ll. Through these multiple or compoundadjustments, the clamps unayzbe moved relative to each other to'ass umeethe-tnrost advantageous clampinsposltions with 5375 4 the work piecesengaged thereby, holding adjoining edge portions of such work pieces indesired relative order during the completion of the welding operation.

I claim:

1. Welders workpiece clamping apparatus comprising a base, a verticallyadjustable stem arising from said base, securing means maintaining saidstem in various positions of vertical adjustment with respect to saidbase, a lower tubular fitting, a horizontal pivot connection unitingsaid stem and fitting, fastening means operative to maintain saidfitting in various positions of adjustment. about its pivotal connectionwith said stem, a lower supporting rod slidably carried by said fittingfor longitudinal and rotative adjustment with respect thereto, a lowerpair of spaced upstanding clamping brackets slidably mounted on said rodfor relative longitudinal and rotative adjustment thereon, a pair ofupper tubular fittings, an upper supporting rod mounted for longitudinaland rotative adjustment in each of said upper fittings, a ball andsocket connection uniting each of said upper fittings with cneofsaidclamping brackets, a pair of upper clamping brackets mounted forrelative longitudinal and rotative adjustment on each of said uppersupor n rods, c of s d upper damning b ack ts i c u n a ne a d a arablrlet for ed w e t in ocket-pr v di epr s sions, a pluraiity ofwork-engaging clamps, each of said clamps including a rigid angularlyand downwar y pr t n stone m d t ii iq and w t a s h r al hood h ea 0aoh o d st ms being a iu iah e i ed in th Win and plate depressions ofsaid upper brackets, mea s f a i stab cl m-pi s t p a of t -Ch f saiduppo b acke s to th omm r em W ns th reof in ho di a s oc a c p in ad.-J'ust d posi n r la iv to t u p b ac carry ng h som 2. Wanda-mums ap araus comp isin a base jorrned with a vertically disposed socket, a s em psitio od sa sooket fo ve t a a j stment c ampin m an orcmain a nins a dtem in its various pos t on o ve t adiu tmont said socket a lower fi tinmem r a ho izo pivotal connect on niti s id lo er fi ting em er w th t eup r ndoi aid st mro ampi is mo n i main a n ng said fi tin m mber n itsa ous position of ad ustm n a ou its horizont axis of tur in movomonprovided by said pivot onn ction, a o er sup ort n rod sl dably carried.by sa d ,fi i nsm m e fo long ud a otative adjustment w th respe he t campi mean oarri l by said. fitt n membe for ma t in ng a tlrod n its Vriou os t ons o adju me t w th re pect. tosaid vIitt s memb a l er p i opac d upsta din am in brackets s da lylmou ted on sa drod for e ti e litudi al and. ,rota ve adju tmen here clam n mean carried shy-saidbrack- Pino d fo longitu nal and .rotauve adjust.-

mo tn c sh o s d upper fit ing m mbers, mo 11 f9r ma tai n ,eaohoi saiupper supporting rods in its various positions. o f a djustment in eachof said upper fitting members, a pair of upper clamping bracketsm'ountedfor relativelongitudinal and rotative-adjustmnt on each of said uppersupporting rods, means for maintaining said upper clamping brackets intheir various positions of adjustment on each of said upper supportingrods, each of said upper brackets including a wing and a separable plateformed with registering socket-providing depressions, a plurality ofwork-engaging C-clamps, each of said clamps including a, rigid angularlyand downwardly projecting stem formed with a spherically headed lowerend, the head of each of said stems being adjustably received in thewing and plate depressions of said upper brackets, and means foradjustably clamping the plate of each of said upper brackets to thecomplemental wing in holding an associated clamp in adjusted positionsrelative to the upper bracket carrying the same.

CHARLES W. SWEENEY.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date Lee Sept. 15, 1891 Duke Sept. 17, 1895 Thomas Nov. 2, 1897Roach Mar. 18, 1902 Fell Feb. 21, 1905 Wiggins Jan. 2, 1912 Cargin Jan.13, 1914 Treuthardt Nov. 25, 1919 Cowan Aug. 2, 1921 Cole Mar. 11, 1924Gilbert May 15, 1928 Mahannah Nov. 5, 1935 Snyder July 20, 1943 FOREIGNPATENTS Country Date Switzerland May 15, 1937

